Springfield to defend its “family-oriented theater” alcohol ban

In the article, Amos Bridges reports that the City of Springfield (MO) will defend a new ordinance that “prohibits alcohol sales at any movie theater where customers younger than 21 account for more than 25 percent of ticket sales.” Theaters that “have achieved … IRC section 501(c)(3) status” are expressly exempted from the ordinance, mind you. (Or should I say theatres.) Which is strange, given that the City is defending the ordinance at least in part because it’s just too dark in theaters for “intoxicating liquor.”

The ostensible target of the ordinance, Campbell 16 Cine’, has challenged the ordinance in state court. [Source] In defense to the lawsuit, the City has plead that the plaintiff “shows movies containing material not allowed to be shown on the premises of licensed entities selling intoxicating liquor.” I’ve got three words: O-ver-breadth. I like the theater’s chances. The ordinance is poorly drafted, and, I dare say, invalid six ways from Sunday.

I’ll bet that you can tote a gun in the City’s theaters — even in those theaters that pay federal taxes.